


Things have changed haven’t they

by FallingPetalsGlowingHeart



Category: Strictly Come Dancing RPF
Genre: F/M, I can't stop thinking about week 4, I really need to do uni work but can’t stop thinking about ranvanni, still don't know what to put in tags though, week 4
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-09
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-12 18:15:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28639866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FallingPetalsGlowingHeart/pseuds/FallingPetalsGlowingHeart
Summary: A look into Week 4 training
Relationships: Giovanni Pernice/Ranvir Singh
Comments: 2
Kudos: 23





	Things have changed haven’t they

**Author's Note:**

> A discussion of who made the first move and a comment of "1,2, cha cha cha..." means week 4 really lives in my head rent free.
> 
> Includes mention of Ranvir's past which is obviously fiction as we don't know want happened duh

“Are you starting to feel it all come together?” Zoe asked as Ranvir and Giovanni sat opposite, his hand sandwhiched between hers on her knee, in their matching outfits. “Are you feeling like a, D word, Dancer?”

Ranvir let out a deep breath. “Erm, I’m, well...” she took a second to think back to the training room, “we’ve talked today about letting go of some fear”.

In that moment their minds were cast back 6 hours ago to practicing the chachacha in training.

“5,6,7,8 and 1,2,3,4” Giovanni counted with the music. They were working on the middle of the dance, Giovanni was still working through some ideas on how to start it.

“Ugh no I messed it up again, sorry” Ranvir said, stepping with the left foot instead of the right.

“It’s ok, you need to stop apologising. We’ll just do it again,” he reassured her, kindly rubbing her arm slightly. “Ready?”

“Yeah, I guess,” she replied reluctantly. This week was much harder than she could have ever imagined. Remembering the straight legs was physically difficult and the timing was hard to keep track of. Not to mention the vulnerability of being out of hold, but she kept trying to push that out of her mind, pretending the only hardship was the steps.

“..6,7,8” brought her out of her thoughts, “and 1,2, no it’s left”

She let out a deep breath and put her head in her hands, frustrated she couldn’t get it right. “I can’t do this,” she said flatly.

“What you talking about? You did it 5 times this morning.”

They stood apart, him with arms crossed. He was trying to stop himself getting annoyed, playing with the rings on his fingers. He just wanted to get on and train, and he knew she could do it, finding it hard to fight the anger that she wouldn’t believe in herself.

She was looking at the floor, fiddling with the fringe on her skirt. “Ok maybe I can _physically_ do it but _**I**_ can’t do it, not mentally, emotionally,” her voice was quiet but assured. She knew he’d just tell her she could and to push herself, and while that was all well and good that’s not what she needed to hear - not this time. “I’m not confident enough, or beautiful or sexy enough to do _**this**_ ” she gestured around with her hands, as her voice started shaking, “I’m just gonna embarrass myself,” she trailed off, as tears where brimming in her eyes. All she could picture was Saturday bringing humiliation, being sent out of the competition, and being remembered on strictly as another failing GMB presenter. She didn't want to be seen as a joke, like others were made out to be. And she didn't want this journey to end, wasn't ready to stop dancing, or spending hours everyday with her partner.

“Hey stop that,” Giovanni came closer to her, shaking his head, and reaching for her hands, “I don’t want you to say those things, think those things about yourself,” he reached her and rubbed her hands as he took them in his. “None of that’s true, you are stunning, gorgeous, how can you not see that?”. He kept rubbing his thumb over the back of her hands, staring at her lovingly while she stayed looking at the ground, biting the inside of her cheek to try and prevent herself crying. He meant every word he said, because truthfully he'd felt feelings for her grow, much to his surprise, over the last few weeks. She wasn't exactly who he's put down on paper as his perfect match, but he'd also realised from previous relationships that he didn't have a 'type' and his happiest relationships came from simply following his heart. And this time his heart was connected to _hers_ , and he felt it big time.

“Well,” her voice was timid and trembling, “when your husband cheats on you it’s hard to see that.” She felt tears escaping now and took back her right hand to wipe them away, as if he wouldn't have noticed. “I wasn’t even enough for the person who was meant to love me the most. It doesn’t matter how long ago something like that happens, it’s impossible to move past it. I always have this voice telling me I’m not good enough.”

Giovanni lifted his spare hand to wipe her tears himself, but she still looked down, his thumb softly stroking her cheek.

“I had no idea, Ranvi I’m so sorry”

He brought his arm around her and brought her close to his chest, still squeezing tight with the hand holding hers. She didn’t resist and lay her head on him, nibbling at the nails of her right hand as she felt herself cry. She didn’t know the last time she’d been this vulnerable with someone outside her family, and that in itself was a rarity. 

As he felt her cry he moved his hand from her back to stroke her head. “Thank you for trusting me and telling me” he whispered down to her before kissing her head. Seeing her so upset hurt him deeply, simultaneously hewas incredibly angry that anyone could let her feel this way.

She let out a sigh and the crying stopped as she smiled at the kiss. The simple gesture made her heart feel warm, glowing. She took a step back, still holding his hand though. 

“Sorry about that,” she tried to laugh it off as nothing, hoping they'd quickly move past it and he'd forget.

“Don’t be silly and don't be sorry.” He took her other hand in his, and they stood with arms slightly swinging. Her gaze shifted back to the floor as she felt lingering awkwardness from the sensitive moment they’d just shared.

“So I guess we should get back to training?” She asked, biting her lip.

They tried running the routine a few more times. She was back to getting the steps right but was still cautious and reserved, making her slightly behind the beat.

“We need a break,” Giovanni stated, "we’re not going to do it right, not until you admit you’re beautiful”

“Oh Giovanni” she rolled her eyes.

“ you have to believe in yourself, feel powerful”.

She felt a small smile on her face but didn’t say anything.

“Look at me,” he reached a hand to lift her jaw so their eyes met, “believe me”

“But look at you, I’m nothing like you”

“Yes you are, you’re stunning, gorgeous,” he echoed from earlier, tucked her hair behind her ear and edged closer, “sexy” he whispered in her ear and smirked.

She couldn’t believe what he’d said, and how flirty he’d been about it. Yes their entire time knowing each other he’d been flirty, but normally it was subtle, they’d flirt back and forth, never such open compliments. And calling her sexy? Had anyone ever called her that? Let alone a 30 year old hot Italian. She lifted her hands to push against his chest and hold him way. “You’re kidding yourself,” she raised an eyebrow and shook her head playfully, “you know that’s not true,” 

He smirked again, their faces were now so close they were nose to nose and could feel each other’s breath. His hands were holding on to either side of her waist. “But it is true”

She couldn’t stop a slight grin gracing her face, but still didn’t believe it and shook her head again. “No I’m just avera-“ before she could finish she felt his lips crash into hers. Her eyes closed and for a second she kissed him back while she tried to compute what was happening. She broke the kiss and, with her hands still on his chest, lent back from him while pushing him away.

“What are you doing?” She challenged

“Trying to make you believe how beautiful you are” his tone still flirty and his eyes flicked between her eyes and lips as his fingers ran through the fringe on her skirt.

“Ok but like what are you doing?” She repeated much more sternly, and accusatively. She stepped back so there was a large space between them again, and his hands fell from her waist as she walked. This was the furthest apart they’d been since rehearsals started that morning.

She crossed her arms, feeling vulnerable. When the hell was the last time someone kissed her? And that passionately? What **WAS** that?

“Really Ranvi?” He ran his hands through his hair, and round his jaw as he thought, “you really thought those weeks we’ve known each other has just been harmless flirting? You’re telling me you haven’t felt the connection between us?” His hand motioning between them. He was surprisingly relaxed. He was sure in what he felt, and knew he hadn’t crossed any lines, he just needed her to realise that.

“I, I, uh I don’t know” she shrugged, arms still folded, again refusing to meet his gaze and refusing to admit he was right.

“Really? Even the judges have picked up on it but you haven’t? Sure”

“Well maybe I had but I knew it would never go anywhere, so there was nothing wrong with harmless flirting...” she wasn’t even sure herself what she’d say next, “there was no way you’d feel any way about me anyway”

“Not this again,” he rolled his eyes, “did I not just prove to you how beautiful I find you?” He once again was walking towards her and she felt herself walking backwards in unison to keep the space that kept them at a safe-feeling distance. She didn’t know what to say, she couldn’t exactly deny what he’d said, it had literally just happened, it’s not like she could have forgotten. After five steps she stopped.

“Ok I was scared.”

He stopped too.

“Scared of the connection and the feelings being real like I’m scared of this stupid dance. And yes all because I don’t see myself as powerful or sexy or confident or whatever.” She still didn’t quite know where she was going with this, but he found her passion hypnotic. “And you may act like that’s silly and say it’s a load of rubbish but why would I expect you, I mean look at you,” she moved her hands up and down at him, “to have any interest in this” she waved her arms down her own body, “there’s a reason I’ve been single since my divorce, and there’s a reason I spend most of my job wrapped up in coats and boots or sat behind a desk and that’s because it’s comfortable. And this, whatever this between us is, and this god awful stupid dance isn’t that. It’s scary and new and exposing and terrifying and I don’t know how to do it.” She took a deep breath and realised he was just smiling , so enamoured with her, hanging on every word, listening to her accidental monologue. “What?” She rolled her eyes, smiling back at him.

“Can I speak now?” 

She nodded.

“It’s time you let go of this fear. This connection can’t be fake, this chemistry, and you know you are feeling it too.” He started walking towards her, “it’s magnetic.”

He was right, she felt herself walking towards him, drawn towards him without thinking. Their eyes focused on each other as they walked.

“You feel this magic”

“Dance magic...” she chimed in, reluctant to hear the truth in what he was saying, but it was so quiet he didn’t hear her and just continued.

“Just let go. You don’t need to be scared. I’m not gonna let you get hurt. You won’t embarrass yourself on Saturday. Come on are you doubting my teaching now?” He winked and she shook her head coyly, they were getting closer. “And with us, you don’t need this fear.” They met in the middle of the training studio, eyes still locked. “Now shall we try that again?” He placed one hand on her waist and the other round her back, pulling her closer.

“The dance or-" she teased, looking down at his lips, but before she could finish he lent in to finish their kiss. This time she fully gave in, fully letting go and allowed herself to feel all the feelings towards him she’d been repressing for weeks. Her hands ran through his hair as they continued kissing. Finally they broke apart, needing some air, but he immediately was trailing kissed down her neck, while she still lay her hand on his head, fingers still running through his hair. 

_This was certainly one way to build self confidence_ she thought to herself.

She brought her hand to his jaw, lifting his face to eyeline and kissing him again. 

He felt so lucky that she’d finally let go. He’d been wanting to kiss her since their first week of training, settling only for hugs and kisses on the cheek, or being allowed to kiss her head. But this was worth the wait entirely.

She couldn’t quite believe what she was doing, but didn’t want to stop. She’d be lying if she said she hadn’t thought about kissing him before, who wouldn’t want to kiss him? She just couldn’t believe he’d made the first move, or that any move had been made at all for that matter.

Eventually they broke apart, after an intense make out session.

“Things have changed, haven’t they?” He said smiling down at her.

“Things have changed,” she replied.

**Author's Note:**

> reference to ITT ep 11 around 24:40


End file.
